"We swear by Allah, if they would help us and open the border between Egypt and Gaza, the army is ready (to enter the Strip). If they would only open the border, within 20 days we would build three hospitals with hundreds of doctors and help rebuild what the Zionists have destroyed," Algerian President Abdelmadjid Tebboune said earlier this week.

However, this militant statement, made during an election campaign event, was met with waves of criticism and mockery in Algeria, labeled as populism. One Algerian commentator said these were "irresponsible statements by the candidate, Abdelmadjid Tebboune, which are merely an attempt to stir the emotions of the masses. There will undoubtedly be consequences for relations between Egypt and Algeria, as Cairo is indirectly blamed for obstructing the entry of supplies to the Gaza Strip."

Another commentator sarcastically wondered whether the president was referring to an army of soldiers or a delegation of construction workers. It was also said that "Algerians no longer believe the regime's words. This regime exploits the Palestinian issue while trying to recover its lost legitimacy."

Algeria is currently preparing for presidential elections to be held on September 7. This is the second round in the country following the resignation of President Abdelaziz Bouteflika in 2019, who passed away two years later. Last week, the campaigns of the candidates officially began, with the main candidate being the incumbent president, Tebboune.

The Constitutional Court approved on July 31 the candidacies of three contenders: Tebboune, who has previously held senior government positions; Youssef Aouchiche from the Socialist Forces Front; and Hassani Cherif Abdel-Ali from the Movement for Peaceful Society, which is associated with Islamist elements in the country.

Any candidate wishing to run is required to gather at least 600 signatures from elected officials in local councils or parliament across 29 out of the 58 provinces in Algeria. Alternatively, candidates can collect 50,000 signatures from eligible voters, provided that 1,200 signatures are obtained from each province. Out of 16 potential candidates, three were ultimately approved - with Tebboune as one of them.

Abdelmadjid Tebboune's term has witnessed a rapprochement with Iran and a certain degree of stabilization following the protests that erupted after the Arab Spring in 2011. Meanwhile, the country has experienced a series of diplomatic failures with neighboring Morocco regarding the Western Sahara issue.

In this regard, a number of European countries, including France and Spain, have endorsed Morocco's autonomy plan under the kingdom's sovereignty. On the other hand, the demand by the Polisario Front for a referendum on the establishment of an independent state has been sidelined. The Algerian regime, the main supporter of the organization, responded by recalling its ambassadors in protest.

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The controversy surrounding Imane Khelif's gender identity continues to dominate Olympic headlines and discussions, but few expected Israel to be implicated in the matter. The president of the Algerian Olympic Committee has accused a "Zionist lobby" of attempting to undermine Muslim boxer Imane Khelif.

The Algerian boxer, set to compete in a semifinal bout at Paris 2024, has faced accusations from her opponents regarding her gender in recent days, following the International Boxing Association's (IBA) decision to bar her from competition.

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The International Boxing Association is holding a press conference in Paris to address the issues surrounding Algerian boxer Imane Khelif and Taiwanese boxer Lin Yu-Ting.

Dr. Ioannis Filippatos, the former Chair of IBA Medical Committee and an OB/GYN with… pic.twitter.com/VC7H5xiSZN

— REDUXX (@ReduxxMag) August 5, 2024

Yacine Arab, president of the Algerian Olympic Committee, has weighed in on the situation, pointing an accusing finger at Israel: "The Zionist lobby wants to break Khelif's spirit, but she is strong. They don't want to see an Arab or Muslim woman succeed in boxing."

The IBA is holding a press conference in Paris to address the issues surrounding Algerian boxer Imane Khelif and Taiwanese boxer Lin Yu-Ting. Dr. Ioannis Filippatos, the former chair of the IBA medical committee and an OB/GYN, confirmed that neither Lin nor Khelif are biological females. "The blood result looks and says, the laboratories, that these boxers are male."

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The Olympic boxing tournament has been thrust into controversy as a high-ranking World Boxing Organization (WBO) official alleges that Algerian boxer Imane Khelif, competing in the women's division, is biologically male. The dispute has intensified following Khelif's recent victory, reigniting debates about gender identity in elite sports.

Khelif advanced closer to an Olympic gold medal in the 145-pound weight class in Paris after defeating Hungarian opponent Luca Hamori in the quarterfinals. Prior to the match, Hamori had provoked Khelif on social media with a contentious image that sparked outrage and prompted the Algerian Olympic Committee to file a formal complaint.

The inflammatory photo showed Hamori lounging poolside in a bikini with a caption that read: "This is the girl who's going to compete against the male boxer tomorrow," an obvious jab at Khelif. In the ring, however, the bout lasted a mere 46 seconds, echoing Khelif's previous match against Italy's Angela Carini, as Hamori succumbed to the Algerian's powerful strikes.

Following her victory, Khelif delivered an emotional defense. "I was born female and worked tirelessly to reach this point. My win is a triumph for all women," she declared. Yet, her statement was quickly met with another forceful challenge, this time from WBO Vice President Istvan Kovacs.

Kovacs, also Hungarian, asserts that the evidence against Khelif is unequivocal. "The issue isn't Khelif's elevated testosterone levels, which can be managed nowadays. It's the biological gender test that unambiguously identified the boxer as male," he told the Hungarian newspaper Magyar Nemzet.

He further revealed: "Our gender screenings identified five boxers who sought to compete in women's events but were clearly determined to be men." Kovacs also criticized the International Olympic Committee's lack of action, stating, "We promptly forwarded these results to them, but astonishingly, we've received no response to date."

The controversy was further fueled by former boxer Marina Kovacs (unrelated to Istvan), who added a pointed, cynical comment: "The issue with modern women's boxing is that 20% of the participants might be at risk of testicular injuries."

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During a visit by Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas on Monday, Algeria pledged $100 million in assistance to the PA.

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The grant is "in keeping with Algeria's revolutionary history and the entire Algerian people's commitment to support the just Palestinian cause under all circumstances," said Algerian President Abdelmadjid Tebboune during a joint press conference, AFP reported.

Tebboune also said that Algeria plans "to put the Palestinian cause at the center" of a summit of the Arab League the country will host in March 2022.

Tebboune plans to host Palestinian factions for talks as well, AFP reported, citing Algerian television reports.

The meeting with Abbas comes two weeks after Israel and Morocco signed a historic defense agreement.

The defense deal is only the latest in a series of agreements inked since Morocco signed a historic accord with Israel, ratified by the Knesset in January. The two countries have also launched direct flights and signed a multimillion dollar trade agreement.

The president of the Algerian Senate Salah Goudjil said at the time that the defense agreement between the two countries "targeted" Algeria.

Reprinted with permission from JNS.org. 

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Algerian judoka Fethi Nourine, who received a 10-year ban from competition for withdrawing from the Tokyo Olympics to avoid potentially facing an Israeli opponent, announced Monday he was retiring.

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Nourine, 30, had unsuccessfully appealed the ban imposed by the International Judo Federation.

"I decided to retire after my appeal was rejected, and the 10-year ban remained unchanged," Nourine said. "I know that international federations have always cooperated with Zionist terrorism, especially the International Judo Federation, and perhaps the best evidence is that the ban remains the same even after my appeal.

"I have no regrets. On the contrary, I am proud of this ban and will take every opportunity that comes my way in order to reveal facts about the Zionist entity, and to defend the Palestinian struggle in every way," the judoka said.

Nourine withdrew from the Tokyo Olympics on opening day after learning he could face Israeli judoka and Olympic bronze medalist Tohar Butbul. His coach, Amar Benikhlef, also received a 10-year ban.

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Morocco is interested in purchasing Israel's Iron Dome missile defense system to "better ensure defense of the sand wall in the Sahara, but also of civil and military zones of a sensitive nature," according to a report in Moroccan digital news outlet Le Desk.

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The North African country normalized relations with Israel as part of last year's US-brokered Abraham Accords. In exchange, the US recognized Morocco's claims over Western Sahara.

Recently, Morocco has been involved in a dispute with its neighbor Algeria, which severed diplomatic ties in August. Algeria backs the Polisario Front independence movement in the disputed territory of Western Sahara. Last week, Algeria accused Morocco of killing three Algerian civilians in Polisario-held territory of Western Sahara.

Speaking on Saturday, Morocco's King Mohamed VI said that sovereignty over Western Sahara is "not negotiable."

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Algerian judoka Fethi Nourine has been banned from competition for 10 years by the International Judo Federation after his withdrawal from the Tokyo Olympics to avoid a potential bout against an Israeli opponent.

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Nourine's coach, IJF Hall of Famer Amar Benikhlef, also received a 10-year ban Monday.

Nourine withdrew from the Tokyo Games on the opening day after learning he could potentially face Olympic bronze medalist Tohar Butbul in the second round of men's lightweight competition at the Budokan. Nourine and Benikhlef told Algerian media they quit to express support for Palestinians.

The Algerian Olympic committee withdrew both men's accreditations and sent them home. After an investigation, the IJF issued a ban that effectively ends the competitive career of the 30-year-old Nourine, a three-time gold medalist in the African Judo Championships.

"It is evident that the two Algerian judoka, with malicious intent, have used the Olympic Games as a platform for protest and promotion of political and religious propaganda, which is a clear and serious breach of the IJF Statutes, the IJF Code of Ethics, and the Olympic Charter," the IJF said in a statement. "Therefore, no other penalty than a severe suspension can be imposed in this case."

The 39-year-old Benikhlef won a silver medal at the Beijing Olympics in 2008.

Butbul advanced to the round of 16 without a bout in the 73-kilogram division in Tokyo because of the withdrawals of Nourine and Sudan's Mohamed Abdalrasool, who also quit the tournament before fighting Butbul. Abdalrasool claimed he had an injury, but Butbul and the Israeli team didn't believe it, citing the fact Abdalrasool weighed in for the bout one day earlier.

Butbul was eliminated in the quarterfinals of his weight class, but he was a member of the Israeli team that won a bronze medal in the first-ever mixed team competition.

The governing body of judo has been firm in its anti-discrimination policies and strong support of Israel's right to compete in recent years.

In April, the IJF suspended Iran for four years because the nation refused to allow its fighters to face Israelis. The IJF said Iran's policies were revealed when former Iranian judoka Saeid Mollaei claimed he was ordered to lose in the semifinals of the 2019 world championships in Tokyo to avoid potentially facing Israeli world champion Sagi Muki in the finals.

Mollaei received asylum in Germany and citizenship in Mongolia. He won a silver medal representing Mongolia at the Tokyo Olympics, which he dedicated to Israel.

Nourine and Benikhlef could appeal their bans to the Court of Arbitration for Sport.

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Algeria's decision last week to sever diplomatic ties with its neighbor, Morocco, puts the spotlight on the strengthening Israeli-Moroccan relations that were born out of the Abraham Accords.

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Professor Bruce Maddy-Weitzman, an expert on North Africa and senior fellow at Tel Aviv University's Moshe Dayan Center for Middle Eastern and African Studies, told JNS that Algeria and Morocco have been "geopolitical and ideological rivals for more than a half-century on the morrow of attaining independence."

The future of Spain's ex-colony, Western Sahara, has been the center of their rivalry since 1975, with Algeria supporting the Polisario independence movement and Morocco acting to incorporate the territory into the kingdom, he explained.

In December 2020, the US recognized Moroccan sovereignty over Western Sahara in return for Rabat normalizing relations with Jerusalem, as part of the series of normalization agreements between Israel and Arab states that were brokered by the Trump administration. Last month, Foreign Minister Yair Lapid visited Morocco to inaugurate the Israeli liaison office there, while revealing plans to open mutual embassies within months.

But last year's quid pro quo in the Abraham Accords process – unilateral US recognition of Moroccan sovereignty over the contested territory in return for Morocco's restoration of diplomatic relations with Israel – was highly upsetting to Algeria, Weitzman noted.

"Moroccan expressions of support for the radical Kabylian Amazigh independence movement in Algeria, done mostly to irritate the Algerians, are also part of the background to the Algerian decision to sever relations," he said.

Weitzman added, "Algeria has blamed the movement for the recent large-scale forest fires in Kabylia, in a transparent effort to divert criticism of the regime's failure to contain the fires."

At the same time, Sarah Feuer, an expert on Arab politics and fellow at The Washington Institute for Near East Policy, believes that Israel's role in the North African dispute is minor.

"Algeria was indeed dismayed at Morocco's decision to resume diplomatic relations with Israel, and more recently, Algeria criticized Morocco for advocating on Israel's behalf in gaining observer status in the African Union," she told JNS. "But ultimately the rupture of ties between Algeria and Morocco reflects a longstanding, locally driven hostility between these two states, principally over the Western Sahara, and an effort on the part of the Algerian regime to deflect attention away from a domestic political and economic crisis the state seems unable to resolve."

Lapid's statement in Morocco that Iran is working with Algeria to block Israeli observer status in the African Union upset the Algerians, and Israel replied in kind.

"Underpinning Algeria's militant stance are the regime's difficulties in renewing its legitimacy in the eyes of an angry and disillusioned public, which is showing signs of renewing the mass peaceful Hirak protest movement that shook the regime to its core in 2019," Weitzman said.

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An Israeli diplomatic source told AFP last week that Algeria "should focus on its own problems, serious economic problems especially, so its citizens can live the life they deserve, rather than trying to harm their neighbor and involve Israel in its disputes."

Algeria said August 24 that it cut ties with Morocco due to "hostile actions." Algerian Foreign Minister Ramtane Lamamra also accused Lapid of "senseless accusations and veiled threats." Lapid had expressed "worries about the role played by Algeria in the region." The Israeli source told AFP that Lamamra's allegations are "unfounded and without interest – they bring nothing new."

During Lapid's visit to Morocco, he raised concerns that Algeria was "getting close to Iran" and that it worked to prevent Israel from admission as an observer member of the African Union.

Yet Feuer said, "We should be careful not to overstate the Iranian issue here. It is true that Algeria – in contrast to Morocco – maintains relations with Iran. Still, neither Algiers' ties to Tehran nor Rabat's firm placement within the pro-West camp are new."

Reprinted with permission from JNS.org.

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Algeria has blamed Morocco and Israel for deadly forest fires that killed dozens of people in the country.

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In a statement, President Abdelmadjid Tebboune has said most of the fires that have burned through the mountainous Berber region of the North African country were the result of arson, reported the AFP.

"The incessant hostile acts carried out by Morocco against Algeria have necessitated the review of relations between the two countries," the presidency statement said.

It said there would also be an "intensification of security controls on the western borders" with Morocco.

According to the statement, officials have arrested suspects from two organizations designated as terrorist groups it said were receiving support from Israel and Morocco, according to a report in The Times of Israel.

Algerian authorities have blamed the fires on the MAK independence movement of the mainly Berber region of Kabylie, which extends along the Mediterranean coast east of the capital Algiers. The MAK denied that it was involved in the fires.

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Meanwhile, 61 people have been arrested in Algeria over the lynching and burning of a man falsely accused of arson, with some of those detained confessing to being members of MAK.

This article was first published by i24NEWS.

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An Algerian judo athlete will be sent home from the Tokyo Olympics after he withdrew from the competition to avoid potentially facing an Israeli opponent.

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Fethi Nourine and his coach, Amar Benikhlef, told Algerian media they were withdrawing to avoid a possible second-round matchup with Israel's Tohar Butbul in the men's 73 kg division on Monday. Nourine was drawn to face Sudan's Mohamed Abdalrasool in the opening round, with the winner facing Butbul, the fifth seed.

The International Judo Federation's executive committee has temporarily suspended Nourine and Benikhlef, who are likely to face sanctions beyond the Olympics, which began Saturday. The Algerian Olympic committee then withdrew both men's accreditation and made plans to send them home.

The IJF said Nourine's position was "in total opposition to the philosophy of the International Judo Federation. The IJF has a strict non-discrimination policy, promoting solidarity as a key principle, reinforced by the values of judo."

Nourine and Benikhlef attribute their stance to their political support for Palestinians.

Nourine also quit the World Judo Championships in 2019 right before he was scheduled to face Butbul, who is a much more accomplished judo athlete than Nourine. Those world championships were held in Tokyo at the Budokan, the site of the Olympic judo tournament.

Judo's world governing body has been firm in its anti-discrimination policies and strong support of Israel's right to compete in recent years.

In April, the IJF suspended Iran for four years because the nation refused to allow its fighters to face Israelis. The IJF said Iran's policies were revealed when former Iranian judoka Saeid Mollaei claimed he was ordered to lose in the semifinals of the 2019 world championships in Tokyo to avoid potentially facing Israeli world champion Sagi Muki in the finals.

The IJF called Iran's policy "a serious breach and gross violation of the statutes of the IJF, its legitimate interests, its principles and objectives." Iran's ban runs through September 2023.

The IJF aided Mollaei's departure for Germany after the controversy, and he now represents Mongolia. He will compete Tuesday at the Olympics.

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